PROKASH KUMAR MOOKERJEE Vs. ADFHARVEY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) In this suit the plaintiff, Prokash Kumar Mookerjee, who is a little boy of about seven years of age and a son, of Punchanan Mookerjee, an officer on the Appellate Side of this Court, sues one A. D. Fordyce Harvey to recover damages for injuries he sustained by reason of being bitten by the defendant's dogs.

(2.) It appears that Mr. Harvey has always kept dogs, and in August last, he purchased a dog of the breed known as Great Danes, two of which breed were produced in Court and which are dogs of great size. In September, one Mr. Duft came to Calcutta and Mr. Harvey bought another Great Dane from him. Mr. Duft had three puppies of a similar breed of the age of about five months and wished to dispose of them as he was about to return to America; and to oblige him, Mr. Harvey also bought the three puppies, and thus at the date when the plaintiff says he was bitten, Mr. Harvey had five Great Danes. These dogs were left in the charge of one Deno, a sweeper, employed by Mr. Harvey to feed, tend and exercise them. It appears to be the essential portion of the sweeper's duties to exercise the dogs, though Mr. and Mrs. Harvey on certain occasions took them out alone.

(3.) On the 25 of January 1909, the sweeper about 4.30 p.m., took the five dogs to the Ballygunge maidan and there some at any rate, if not all, the dogs attacked and bit the plaintiff very severely and the plaintiff, therefore, brings this suit. The evidence for the plaintiff is that he and his bearer were going on to the maidan when they saw the sweeper seated on the ground having three dogs chained, the other two dogs being loose. The three that were chained were held by Deno, who had placed his foot on the ends of the chains and was sitting down smoking; one of the dogs then ran towards the plaintiff, who was very alarmed and ran to the other side of the bearer and the dog followed and then the bearer took the child in his arms and covered him with his clothes and the whole five dogs there bit and scratched the plaintiff. On the other hand, the sweeper says that all five dogs were chained, that when the plaintiff and his bearer were about twenty yards off, he saw them and warned them not to come any nearer, and that they took no notice and continued to advance and the child commenced to cry and two dogs, becoming excited, broke away and ran towards the plaintiff and the bearer then concealed the child under his clothes and the dogs tore the clothes and bit the child.